Title V Partnerships are Key to Implementation
By Kay Johnson
Johnson Group Consulting
Over the past 20 years, the field of home visiting has expanded dramatically. In the absence of a federal program dedicated to home visiting, states and communities have led the way. As of 2008, state-based home visiting programs were reported by 40 states, representing 70 distinct programs. Most states described one or two state-based home visiting programs. Five states had three or more programs. An estimated 3,000 or more local sites exist. At the same time, the home visiting field has been divided due to disagreements over models, tensions between researchers and practitioners, and lack of a federal policy and finance anchor. [read more]
Florida’s Home Visiting Coalition
By Annette Phelps, ARNP, MSN
Division Director for Family Health Services
Division of Family Health Services
Florida Department of Health
Carol Scoggins, MS
Program Administrator, Maternal and Child Health
Infant, Maternal and Reproductive Health
Bureau of Family and Community Health
Kris-Tena Albers, CNM, MN
Executive Community Health Nursing Director
Infant, Maternal and Reproductive Health
Bureau of Family and Community Health
Florida’s Home Visiting Coalition shares a passion for and commitment to improving the well-being of Florida’s families and their children. The Coalition members recognize home visiting as a critical service delivery strategy and research-based approach for building trusting relationships with parents and other caregivers with the knowledge, skills and tools to assist their children in being healthy, safe and ready to succeed in school. The Coalition is committed to maintaining an on-going, direct and honest dialogue and improved communication among programs to ensure collaboration and coordination and an integrated system of care. Family Health Services, Florida Department of Health is a member of the Coalition’s Steering Committee. [read more]
Hawaii Healthy Start Program
By Loretta J. Fuddy, A.C.S.W., M.P.H.
Chief, Family Health Services Division
State of Hawaii
Department of Health
Cindy Hirai, MSW
Healthy Start Program Manager
Helene Kaiwi, MSW
Community & Family Support Section Supervisor
The Hawaii Healthy Start (HHS) home visiting program is administered through the State Department of Health’s Title V program within the Family Health Services Division, (FHSD), Maternal and Child Health Branch (MCHB). HHS began as a demonstration project in 1985 and expanded statewide in 2001. The program included universal screenings and assessments for at risk families in all civilian birthing hospitals. Throughout its 25 year history, HHS has conducted rigorous program evaluations and has made several revisions to the program design to improve child and family outcomes. [read more]
Louisiana’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program
By Cynthia Suire, MSN, RN
Louisiana Nurse-Family Partnership Program Manager
Louisiana Office of Public Health Maternal and Child Health Program
The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program is an evidence-based, nurse home visitation program designed to serve low income, first-time pregnant mothers and their babies. The intervention begins in early pregnancy and continues until the first child reaches two years of age, providing frequent, intensive home visiting services. NFP uses experienced, highly trained registered nurses to guide and educate first time parents to achieve three important goals: (1) healthy pregnancy outcomes, (2) healthy infant/toddler growth and development, and (3) self-sufficient, healthy families. Experienced, registered nurses are critical to the successful delivery of NFP, as women have many questions and concerns about their health and the baby's health. [read more]
Missouri’s Home Visiting Programs
By Melinda Sanders
Section Administrator, Section for Healthy Families and Youth
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Dr. Sharmini V. Rogers, MBBS, MPH, Chief
Bureau of Genetics and Healthy Childhood
Section for Healthy Families and Youth
Karen Schenk, RN. BS
Public Health Consultant Nurse
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services offers two types of home visiting programs that serve low-income women both prenatally and post partum, along with their index infant(s), who have been identified as ”at-risk” for poor pregnancy and infant health outcomes and/or child abuse and neglect. These women are considered to be “at-risk” due to socioeconomic status, education level, age or prior history. Both programs follow these women and children up to age 2. The programs’ goals are to assist the women improve their health-related behaviors; assist/teach parents to provide more responsible care for their children; and improve the family’s economic self-sufficiency by helping parents develop a vision for their own future. [read more]